This invention relates to shaped packing elements and particularly dumped packing elements shaped from extrudable materials such as plastics and ceramic slurries.
Such elements are used in reactors where liquids and gases are contacted so as to bring about a reaction, heat transfer, solution or dissolution operations by intimately contacting two flowing fluids. As a consequence they have shapes designed to maximize surface area while retaining dimensional stability such they do not collapse or become crushed during use. In addition, where the environment in which the elements are required to operate is corrosive and/or at an elevated temperature, it is desirable to form the elements from a ceramic material. Finally it is desirable to have a structure that is easily produced to a standard design in large volumes.
The present invention provides such a shaped packing element with excellent strength and surface area properties that is readily manufactured by a simple extrusion process.